Dropping the Morning Nap

Question: "Lately, it's been a struggle to get my ten-month-old down for his morning nap. Could he possibly be ready to give it up? Frankly, I'm not!"

Although your little guy's single nap a day may not be enough for you, that's all many babies need as they approach one year of age. Most often it's the morning nap that gets dropped, but occasionally it's the after-lunch siesta. Babies of some enviable parents continue to nap twice a day into the second year, and this is also normal — as long as it doesn't interfere with nighttime sleep.

But here's something to keep in mind while you're lamenting the loss of your baby's morning nap: How many times a day your baby sleeps is of less consequence than how well he functions on the sleep he's getting. (How well you function on the sleep he's getting is another matter entirely.) If nap skipping doesn't bring out the crankies and if he's not too overtired to settle down for a good afternoon nap and a full night's sleep, then you may have to kiss those two-nap days good-bye.

If your baby fights his morning nap but is consistently overtired later in the day, it may be that he's resisting the extra rest because it cuts into his busy schedule. Time wasted sleeping, he figures, could be better spent pulling books off the shelf or trying to eat your cell phone. Not getting in necessary naptime, however, makes for a less-happy, less-cooperative baby during the day — and often one who's too overcharged to settle down at night.

To help your baby get the sleep he needs, try a naptime routine that's an abridged version of his bedtime one. Feed and change him, create a relaxing environment (darken the room and sing a lullaby, for example), and then put him down.

How to Form a Bedtime Routine

Don't give up if he doesn't fall asleep right away; some babies need more time to settle down during the day. If he still refuses, you can try a sleep-training method or consider having him take his single nap earlier in the afternoon to keep the crankies (his — and yours!) at bay.

Here's to your child catching enough z's,

Written by Heidi Murkoff

Heidi Murkoff is the creator of the world’s best-selling pregnancy and parenting series, What to Expect, that began with What to Expect When You’re Expecting. She is also the creator of WhatToExpect.com and founder of the What to Expect Foundation.